Kashmir, Human Rights And The Indian Press

IN Books | 08/09/2002

TABLE- II

TABLE- II
A comparative quantitative analysis of the official sources of news reports on Kashmir
(1 December 1991-29 February 1992)

Official Sources	December			January			February			Total			Grand Total
	TTOI	IE	TH	TTOI	IE	TH	TTOI	IE	TH	TTOI	IE	TH
Indian	12	7	14	24	15	16	32	17	43	68	39	73	180
Pakistani	1	-	1	1	-	1	3	6	5	5	6	7	18
Kashmiri	1	-	2	1	1	-	3	2	5	5	3	7	15
Others	3	-	1	3	1	-	3	4	2	9	5	3	17
Total	17	7	18	29	17	17	41	29	55	87	53	90	230

*TTOI - The Times of India (Bombay); IE-Indian Express (Kochi); TH - The Hindu (Coimbatore)

It is indeed thought provoking that reports on the actual situation in Kashmir quoting such sources as the ordinary people of the Valley, the militants or Pakistani officials are extremely scarce, while there is no dearth of quotations from Indian Government sources on Kashmir. Even more interesting is the fact that, although very often headlines are in effect statements by Government officials, many of them do not bear quotation marks or any other signs to depict them as such, thereby misleading the reader into believing them to be actual facts. In today¿s busy world, news reports are often only skimmed through, and it is the headlines and front-page block items which are retained in the subconscious mind. The dominance of a particular image therefore, leaves a correspondingly strong impression in the minds of the readers.

Deaths and ¿encounters¿

Most of the news reports/straight news on Kashmir relate to deaths and ¿encounters¿ in the Valley, largely quoting official sources. The focus of attention is primarily on either the deaths/capture of militants, or the deaths/ attacks on security forces by the militants. Incidents of the violation of the human rights of ordinary citizens by either the militants or the security forces are completely neglected. Even in those reports where some mention is made of civilians in this context, they are only passing references in reports focusing on ¿ultras¿, or ¿militants¿ or ¿security forces¿. Only the discerning reader can glean some understanding of the actual situation by a careful reading between the lines. This trend can

TAGS

Media Research

Subscribe To The Newsletter

Media Watch Briefs

Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.